Bengal: Wild elephant harassed by locals chases earthmover, damages watchtower in Damdim

(Representational Image)

A wild elephant that strayed out of Apalchand forest in North Bengal on Saturday morning chased an earthmover and damaged a watchtower in Damdim after being harassed by locals.

The tusker, which suffered injuries, was later driven back into the forest, as reported by the Times of India.

According to Koustav Choudhury, executive director of SNAP Foundation, the elephant had engaged in a territorial fight inside the forest before stepping out near a tea estate. There, it encountered an earthmover, whose driver kept the machine running with its bucket raised. Taking it as a threat and challenge, the elephant charged at the machine, injuring its head and trunk.

Despite turning away, the tusker was pursued by locals and the machine, triggering further agitation. In a state of ‘musth"—a hormonal phase that causes aggression—the elephant later rammed into a watchtower with its head and trunk.

With thousands of people gathered, controlling the situation became challenging for authorities. Eventually, forest officials used firecrackers in the evening to push the elephant back into Apalchand forest.

Gorumara DFO Dwijpratim Sen said the animal was being monitored inside the forest. An FIR will be filed against the earthmover driver, and a high-level meeting will be held with local authorities to address crowd management lapses.